Cotton-harvester.



Patented Jan. 11,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' I w/mfssfs MTU/M578 VD. H. Mms.l COTTON HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 23, 1909.

- Patented JaIL 11, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

D. H. MAYS. uoTToN HARVESTER.

I l APPLICATION FILED MAE. 23 1909. 946,454.

ATTORNEYS Patented ,1111.111910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

DOUGLASS HOLLOWAY MAYS, OF BENOIT, MISSISSIPPI.

COTTON-HARVESTER. i

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, DoUGLAss H. MAYs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Benoit, in the county of Bolivar and State of Mississippi, and whose post-ofhce address is the same, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cotton- Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My-invention relates to\improvements in means for harvesting cotton from the eld and it consists in therOmbinations, constructions and arrangements herein described` and claimed. Y

The object of my invention is to provide a device which is adapted for gathering cotton from the maturing plants and for separating the same from foreign substances which are gathered therewith.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device capable of gathering cotton, which effects this operation without injuring the plants, but which leaves them in the same condition as they were before the cotton is gathered.

The invention contemplates pneumatic means for eecting both the gathering and 'the separating operations.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view, certain parts of the device being in section. longitudinal section along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail section along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a section along the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention I provide a main carrying frame A, provided with rearl Vrow and in which the operation of gathering thecotton is performed. On the outer Vside of the wall 2 are mounted the four shafts 3, 4, 5 and 6 each bearing a sprocket Fig. 2 is a,

`ing a bottom of wire mesh 23a and o Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 3.11, 11,` 1910, Application led March 23, 1909. Serial No. 485,224. l

sprocket chain 7- which is provided with the laterally extending arms 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The sprocket wheel'3 is the driving sprocket as will be hereinafter explained. On the shafts 4 and 5 are mounted a. se-

wheel arranged to be driven by a common ries'of flaps 9 arranged to project through` an opening 'in the wall 2.and to come into contact with the wall 1 in the manner shown in the figure. Around the aps are the cy-l lindrical casings 10 and 11 which have Openings therethrough so that the sprocket chain 7 `with its associated arms 8 mayhave free passage. The forward sprocket shaft 6 is provided with a -sergies of'. arms 12 also adapted to pass through an opening In the wall 2.

Referrin now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that t e axles 13 of Vthewheels C are supported by the U-shaped member 13x and one of the wheels is provided with a sprocket Wheel 14 which drives a sprocket wheel 15, secured 'ust underneath the frame A, by means o the sprocket chain 16. By means of the bevel gear connection 17, the shaft 3 is-turned and through the medium of'the sprocket chain -7 turns the vertical shafts i, 5 and 6. Y r

Referring now particularly toFig. 3, it will be seen that the pipe D communicates with a suction pipe F leading to the casing G which contains theseparatingand clean mechanism. This comprises a cylinin drical drum 18 having a periphery of wire screen v19, see Fig. 3 which .is mounted in the top of the casing G, just beneath the bent end of the suction pipe-F. In close proximity to the drum 18 are the rolls 20,

while toward one side of the, drum are the breakers 21. Thesey breakers are disposed in a chute 22 leading to a cylinder 23 havenings 23Fx and 23c in its top and sides or the entrance and exit of cotton bolls. Within the cylinder 23 are mounted the radial arins 24. Immediatelyopposite the opening 23 1s a spikedroll 25 arranged to deliver the cot- 4ton-to a studded endless belt 26 which is arranged to run over the lower and upper rolls 27, 27 respectively. I

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that I have provided a suction fan I-I atthe side of the cleaning mechanism but in communication therewith by the pipe 28. Leading from the opposite side of the fan casing h is the pipe 29.

Referring now' to Figs. 3 and G, it will be seen that the studded belt 26 delivers the cotton to a spiked roll 30. From thence it is dropped into the inclined chute 31, see Fig. 6, which leads to the feeder 32, the latter being in communication with the pipe 29 leading from the fan. Mounted upon the carrying frame A is the engine K which is arranged to drive the cleaning and separating mechanism through the medium of the belt p and the pulley p3, shaft p5 and pulleys p and p4. The latter drives the shaft 23x of the cylinder 23 by means of the belt p2 The shaft 23c has a pulley. and the rolls 20 and 21 and the drum 19 are provided with similar pulleys arranged to be vengaged by the belts -33, 34 and 35 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing descri tion of the various parts of the device t e operation thereof may be readily understood.

The machine may be drawn along the cotton rows by means of horse power or it may be propelled by mechanical means. The arms 1X and 2X serve to guide the plants between the walls land 2 of the casing E. The sprocket chain 7 is geared to move at the same rate that the machine is progressing so that the arms 8V are relatively stationary when the come in contact with the plants but keep themfrombeing bent over. As the machine passes along the plants pass the flexible flaps or arms 9 and eventually reach the enlarged portion, the upperv end ofwhich constitutes the pipe D. A constant current of air is being drawn by the fan through the suction pipe F and since .the studded belt 26.

the flaps prevent the entrance of air from the ends of the casing all the air is drawn in from the bottom. When the plants enter the enlarged space between the two sets of lia s the branches spread out and the cotton bolls are sucked up into the pipe F and are conveyed therethrough to the casing G, see Fig. 3. In the meantime the machine is passing onwardly and the aps of the wheel et permit the plants to pass out. plants are about to leave the space between the walls 1 and 2 they come into contact with the revolving disk R, see Fig. 2, which presses the plants away from the arms 9 thereby insuring their disengagement from the latter. The cotton bolls being deposited on the 4drum 1-9 are uhereupon drawn by the rolls 2O and delivered to the breakers 21 which thoroughly break up the hulls and in turn deliver the crushed bolls into the cylinder 23. Most of the leaf portions are screened out, this action being greatly facllitated by the revolution of the arms 24 which receive the cotton from the top opening 23b and deliver it through the side opening 23C to the roll 25, which in turn delivers it to rIhe belt 26 catches up the cotton and delivers it to the roll 30 As thewhich deposits it in the chute 31 leading to the feed 32, which is mounted on a shaft 27X. In case any of the hulls should be thrown upon the studded belt 26, they will rebound and fall through the bottom thus rendering the cotton which is eventually elevated by the belt clean and free from foreign substances. After the cotton has been delivered to the feed mechanism 32, it is fed forward with the blast into the proper receptacle.

In Fig. 5 I have indicated how the device might be extended to operate 011 a plurality of rows instead of only ononc, the suction pipes for the other rows being shown at F and F2 respectively.

I am aware that other forms of the device based upon the same general idea might be made, but Iv consider as my own all such modications as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

. I claim:

1. In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, wheels therefor, a suction box depending therefrom having openings at` its ends and at its bottom for permitting the entrance of the plants into the box, means for restricting the entrance of air from said open ends, and means for maintaining the plants in an upward position.

2. In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, wheels therefor, a suction box depending therefrom having openings at its ends and at-its bottom for permitting the entrance of the plants into the box, a series of flexible liaps arranged to permit the passage of plants and adapted to restrict the entrance of air-through said end openings and means for maintaining said plants 1n an upward position.

3. In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, wheels therefor, a suction box depending therefrom having openings at its ends and at its bottom and being adapted to pass over the cotton plants, a'series of vertical shafts secured to said suction box each of said shafts bearing sprocket wheels, a series of flexible aps carried by certain of said shafts and arranged to close the openings in the ends of said casing to restrict the` entrance of air and a common sprocket chain for said shafts.

4. -In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, wheels therefor, a suction box depending therefrom havin@ openings at its ends and at its bottom and being adapted to pass over the cotton plants, a series of vertical shafts secured to said suction box each of said shafts bearing sprocket wheels, a series of exible flaps carried by certain of said shafts and arranged to close the openings in the ends of said casing to restrict the entrance of air and a common sprocket chain provided with laterally extending arms arranged to pass around all the sprockets on p said A shafts, said arms being arranged to travel at a speed equal tothe progressive movement of the suction box.

5. In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, wheels therefor, a suction box depending therefrom adapted to be passed over the cotton plants, a wheel at each eld of said box provided with flexible flaps for restrictin the entrance of air, a pipe leading from sai box, a casing communicating with said pipe, a suction fan Within said casing and Y cleaning devices bet-Ween said suction fan and said suction box for separating the cotton from the hulls.

6. In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, VWheels therefor, a suction box depending from the main frame having openings at its ends and at its bottom and being adapted to pass over the cotton plants, a series o movable aps for restricting the entrance of air from said ,open ends and a series of movable arms adapted to pass above certain of said flaps for maintaining the cotton plants in an upright position.

.7.. In a cotton harvester and cleaner, a main frame, Wheels therefor, a suction box depending from the main frame havin openings at its ends and at its bottom an being ada 'ted to pass over the cotton plants, a series o upper and lower revoluble flaps at each end of saidsbox, a series of arms movable with respect to said flaps and adapted to pass between the u per and'lower flaps of the device from theront to the rear of the machine for maintaining the plants in an u right osition.-

- OUGASS HOLLOWAY MAYS. Witnesses:

. M. F. EDWARDS, f Jos. KorrLEn. 

